Charles Ellicott Commentary Matthew 20:18

"Behold, we go up to Jerusalem; and the Son of man shall be delivered unto the chief priests and scribes; and they shall condemn him to death," — Matthew 20:18 (ASV)

Behold, we go up to Jerusalem — These words repeat in substance what had been previously stated after the Transfiguration (Matthew 17:22), but with greater definiteness. Jerusalem is to be the scene of His suffering, their present journey is to end there, the “chief priests and scribes” are to be the chief actors, and “the Gentiles” their instruments.

The mocking, the spitting (Mark 10:34), the scourging, and the crucifixion—all these are new elements in the prediction. It is as if what had previously been presented in dim outline to the disciples was now brought vividly, in every stage of its progress, before His mind and theirs.